Building A Sala

Sand Is For Concrete and It is for Playing Too

They say that time waits for no man.  Two days ago I found that time has moved on and left me behind - behind in writing a blog entry about building a sala for Luang Paw Pohm Likit, the Forest Monk.

While others may ponder the answer to the question of what came first the chicken or the egg, I am often contemplating the question of what should come first - a blog entry or more photographs.  I had an idea to write a blog entry about the sala, worship hall, for the Forest Monk.  As it turned out to be I have become very busy with taking photographs of two funerals, elementary school field day, fabric weaving, and two trips to Lao so the blog did not get written.

Current Sala for Wat In Baan Mat

A Sala is an open pavilion that shelters people from the sun and rain.  At a Wat, the Sala is where merit making rituals are performed.  The offering of food to the Monks takes place in the sala as well as funeral rituals.

The current sala for the Wat outside of Baan Mat is very primitive.  It consists of a bare concrete slab that is sheltered by a thatched roof that is supported by 3 to 4 inch diameter tree columns and a lashed bamboo roofing sub-structure.  The thatched roof apparently was not waterproof so there is now a large plastic advertising banner draped and lashed over the thatched panels to improve the weatherproofing.  At one end of the sala there is a raised bare concrete platform the width of the pavilion where the Monk sits and off to his right on the raised area is a shrine.

Far End of Current Sala

The end of the pavilion that is raised has some polyethylene nursery cloth (sun and bird protection) attached to the pavilion columns to provide additional weather protection.  Apparently the weather protection was not completely adequate because a sloping sheet of recycled corrugated metal roofing has been suspended over the shrine to deflect any rain from it and on the outside four large waterproof election signs have been attached to bamboo poles to serve as a quasi wall beyond the nursery cloth.

Excavation for Footing and Materials to Mix Concrete

At the end of January the construction of a new sala was started.  Holes for the columns of the structure had been excavated and the workers were in the process of pouring the footings for the columns.  I had spent my working career involved in the construction of heavy construction facilities as well as a few commercial facilities around the world so the building of a new sala piqued my curiosity and revived memories of times gone by - visions of projects past, present, and yet to come?

There is no worry about frost and subsequent frost heaving for a foundation here is Isaan.  Earthquakes are also not a concern in this region.  High winds are also not an issue here.  With the absence of these considerations the excavations for the footings were shallow and dug by hand.

Reinforcing steel for the footers utilized smooth small diameter bars rather than the larger diameter deformed concrete reinforcing steel (rebar) that I am accustomed to.  The workers only used one mat of reinforcement per footing rather than the two mats that I had experienced.  It appears to me that the reinforcement add to the sala's footings contributes mainly to distribution of the heat during curing of the concrete than to increasing the load bearing capacity of the footing.

After the footing had been poured and cured, the workers placed a section of reinforced concrete pipe on the footing in the excavation - putting a round concrete ring in a square hole - it can be done and quite easily if you pay attention to dimensions.  I have no idea what the purpose of adding the concrete pipe to the column foundation served.  Through Duang, I asked the "Big Boss" why they were adding the concrete pipe when they could save labor and money by just pouring the foundation against the exposed earth?  I didn't get an answer and Duang told me "Thailand not like America" which translates into "things are different" and "don't ask any more questions".

To control dimensions and orientations, the workers had set up batter boards outside of excavations and outline of the new structure.  This being Thailand, the batter boards were bamboo poles rather than  finished lumber.  Strings were pulled from nails driven into the bamboo holes to establish center-lines or offsets as required.  Elevations were established using a very simple device - a water level.  A water level is a flexible transparent hose filled with water.  The height of one end of the tube is adjusted so that water level at one end of the open ended tube is adjusted to match a predetermined elevation.  The water level at the other end of the tube will match that predetermined elevation.  By repeating the process many items can be set at the same elevation.

Through the use of tubing, string, nails, and bamboo poles the workers had a system to ensure that the columns would be set properly for a square and flat building without the use of sophisticated, delicate and expensive surveying equipment.  The workers were building the sala the old fashioned way - using very old methods.

On Wednesday we arrived at the Wat at 8:30 A.M.  The morning offering of food to Luang Paw Pohm Likit typically starts around 10:00 A.M. but prior to offering food on Wednesday there was to be a special ritual of setting the first two columns of the new sala.  It had been determined by the Monks that the opportune time to commence setting the columns was "09:00 12 February 2557 For this special occasion, there were 8 Monks besides Luang Paw Pohm Likit.  I recognized some of the Monks from the Buddhist school and Wat in a nearby village where we had attended a funeral ritual earlier this month.

There were also more lay people than is typical on any given morning.  Building of a sala earns merit for the participants - extra incentive no doubt to the adage "Build it and they will come"

Woman Places Offerings of Coins and Leaves In Excavation

Offerings to the Spirits - Coins and Leaves (the fresh leaves inside the excavation)

As formal preparations were made for the ritual, people at their own pace went from excavation to excavation making offerings.  The offerings were coins and fresh leaves.  This has nothing to do with the official practice of Buddhism but as I have written several times before "there are the ways things are supposed to be and the way that they are".  Many aspects of Buddhism as practiced here in Isaan are actually remnants of the previous dominant religions in the area - Hinduism and even further back - Animism.

The offerings are made to the spirits - the spirits of the land, the spirits of the garden, and the spirits of the home.  The offerings are also made in the name of the spirits, the spirits of departed family members, so that they too may earn merit from this special occasion.  The coins are offered to bring good luck and good fortune.  The leaves are offered as reminders of the impermanence of this life.  There was also a plate of food offered to feed the spirits.

I was somewhat surprised to see that most of the excavations did not have the section of reinforced concrete pipe placed inside of them. It is possible that no more sections had been placed since my observations of two weeks ago.  There was also no longer a stock pile of reinforced concrete pipe laying around the site. Perhaps they actually listened?

While people were making their individual offerings, others were busy preparing offering that would be placed on the actual columns to be set.

Lay People Prepare Offerings of Banana Stalk and Sugar Cane

The offerings to be attached to the columns were different.  The first column offering was a woven vase shaped bamboo basket containing a banana tree stalk and a pumalai (floral garland) of fresh chrysanthemums bound together with saii sin (white cotton string).  The second offering was also a woven bamboo basket but shaped like the baskets used to store trapped fish in the water when fishing.  This basket had a stalk of sugar cane and a pumalai of the yellow chrysanthemums - all bound with saii sin.

Hauling the Selected Columns To Location for Setting

After the people had finished putting the offerings together, one of the Monks came over, took the offers, and brought them to where the two selected columns were laying on the ground with all the other columns.  The columns were lifted by a truck crane and placed on the back along with the offerings and driven the very short distance to where they would be set.  The columns were off loaded and placed on the ground along side their respective foundations.  Under the supervision of another, more senior, Monk the offerings were placed and secured around each column with a thick saii sin.

As the Monks chanted and the people either knelt or assisted the crane, the columns were lifted and set one after the other.

Monks Connected to a Column By Saii Sin

Rigging the Second Column for Lift

Setting the Second Column

In writing this blog today I noticed that the first column was not actually set until around 09:15.  I questioned Duang about this and she reassured me that it was OK.  The best time to start was 09:00 but that it was OK to set at 09:15 - just not 10:00 or 11:00.  Thailand is known as a land of tolerance and I guess that means tolerance in scheduling of work activities even of a religious nature.  It is part of the charm that I find so interesting and fascinating here.

The Forest Monk, Luang Paw Pohm Likit, did not supervise the setting of the columns or lead the ritual.  He wandered about the area and acted as a host.  According to Duang, you don't preside over the building of your own temple.  It makes sense now that I think of it.  To preside over and lead the ritual would be to demonstrate want and desire which Buddhists strive to free themselves of.  With the other Monks carrying the religious load, Luang Paw Pohm Likit is freed to only accept the offering from the people of the new sala.

As soon as a column was set, workers scrambled to brace it with long bamboo poles.  The four bamboo poles were attached to the column with pre-cut double twisted  iron wire. The bamboo braces kept the columns from falling over in the wind.  It was at this point that I became concerned.  No I was not concerned about the safety aspects of the work that they were doing or their lack of personal protective equipment.  I was concerned about the location of the columns.  The batter boards had been dismantled before setting the columns.  There were no scribe marks on the footings to indicate the required center lines for each column.  No one was taking any measurements or sightings either by eye or instrument to ensure the proper location of the columns to each other or to the overall planned structure.  Actually there were no plans - blueprints or plans of any color.

After several inquires and expressions of my concern, through Duang as my interpreter and my pantomime, I kept getting the same answer  "No problem, set all columns, then Big Boss come and take care, make everything 100%"  Hmm OK but ... I had forgotten "Thailand not like America"

After the columns had been set, the people and Monks returned to the adjacent existing sala to have the daily merit making ritual of offering food to the Monks.  There was a vast quantity and variety of food for the day.  I joined the gathering, after the Monks had selected their food, to have my second of three meals for the day - a delicious bowl Ratna (Lat Na) - Thai thick and wide noodles in gravy with mushrooms, and seafood sausage.  When it was time for the Monks to leave, the senior Monk gave me two bottles of Coke and one water that he had been given but was not going to drink.  It came in very handy for the remainder of our day.

While people were making merit and eating,  the workers were moving the remaining columns for the sala the old fashion way - bamboo poles and plenty of people

Transporting Pre-Cast Column to Its Foundation

As we prepared to leave, we offered a ride from the Wat into Baan Mat to three elderly women who had walked out for the rituals.  They were happy to take the ride for the road is now very dusty and  the temperature was in the low 90s F.  As they placed their bags and baskets in the pickup bed, I pointed to the pickup bed and said "10 baht" and then pointed to the back seat of the cab and said "20 baht" - they knew that I was joking and started laughing.  Every one got in the back seat and told me "Thank you, good luck to you, Money come soon to you"  After Duang translated I turned my head around, looked back at them and said as I pointed to each one "Yes I know money come soon, 20 baht, 20 baht, 20 baht ... 60 baht total!"  Duang translated but it wasn't really necessary ... they understood and were laughing their heads off.

We dropped them off in the village no more money than I had started with but so much richer for the experience.  The people here have a wonderful and very large sense of humor which makes living here as a foreigner who can not speak the languages, Thai and Lao, so much easier because humor is communication that everyone understands and appreciates.

Today  was a special religious day.  Duang went to the Wat to observe the holiday.  Luang Paw Pohm Likit and several of the others asked where I was and why I had not come - the Big Boss was on site making everything 100% for the columns.  They were laughing that I had made a big deal about the other day and then when it was to be done, didn't show up. They did say that I needed to come out tomorrow morning to see.

Yes, humor ... you have to be able to take as much as you give to truly appreciate it ... and to be appreciated.

Elementary Schools Field Day

Bem Leads Baan Tahsang Elementary School Students

One of our favorite end of the year events here in Isaan is the Elementary School Field Day.  Actually the athletic competition between schools is elementary and secondary schools within the various sub-districts.

Tahasang Village is part of Tambon Nongwha (Nongwha Sub-district).  There are seven elementary schools within Tambon Nongwha.  Each year, typically at the end of December, the seven schools will gather on a rotating basis at one of the schools for a sports day.  This year, the Field Day was held on 10 January in conjunction with Thailand's Children's Day on 11 January 2014.

The Elementary School Field Day commences with a parade of the participating schools along the public road to the site where the competition is being held.  This is not a parade of the athletes like during the Olympics.  It is a parade of the student body from each of the schools.  The schools are very small so everyone gets to participate in the procession.  Tahsang Village Elementary School has 45 students which is about the size of the other schools.

The contingent from each school is lead by a drum majorette a couple of standard bearers, a student carrying a picture of the King, and the school band, a group of girls all dressed and made up in fancy party outfits with the student body dressed in their school uniforms marching in formation behind them.

Tahsang Village Student Body

The students from all the schools march on to and stand in formation before the pavilions where the local government officials are assembled.  There is a formal flag raising ceremony, singing of the national anthem, singing the King's anthem, chanting of a Buddhist prayer, and many speeches.

After the completion of the speeches, the hosting school performs a routine.  Last year, Tahsang Village as the hosting school performed a choreographed Muay Thai exposition.  This year, in consideration and anticipation of the upcoming creation of the ASEAN community in 2015, the hosting school performed ethnic dances to music unique to representative countries of the ASEAN association.

The next event was the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.  I know that only the "real" Olympics can have an Olympic torch, Olympic cauldron, or even refer to competition as "Olympics".  I know that they have taken legal steps to stop others from "infringing" upon their "brand".  However, this is Thailand, more specifically Isaan, where life is more simple and there are far less concerns about 3 to 14 year olds infringing upon a staid organization like the International Olympic Committee.

At this Olympics, there were no concerns or restriction regarding sexual orientation.  Some of the girls wearing fancy dresses, and highly made up were actually boys.  No one cared and people focused on supporting their school and ensuring that they had a good time.

The cauldron at these Olympics was not fueled by high pressure natural gas.  Our cauldron was actually a rather heavy large metal bowl placed on top of some scaffolding.  The bowl was filled with locally produced charcoal.  A runner ran around the sporting field with an Olympic torch, climbed the scaffolding and set the charcoal on fire.  After a short time, the flames died down and the Olympic flame was more an Olympic smoldering for the remainder of the day.

Once the cauldron was ignited three fireworks were shot high into the air to signify the start of the games.

Each school had their own separate grandstand for students, teachers, and family members.  The grandstands were highly decorated and in individual color schemes.  Family members set up sahts on the ground beneath the grandstand - an area protected from the overhead sun, a great place to eat, drink and rest.

Tahsang Student Prepared for Relay Race

She's Off!

The first competition of the day was the races.  Elementary schools have students aged 3 and up to 14.  In addition to individual races there were relay racing.  I always get a kick at the efforts expended by race officials, teachers, and supporters to first set up 4 and 5 year olds into staggered start positions and trying to hold the eager runners or motivate the not so eager runners to take off at the proper time.  It is great entertainment.  False starts are sometimes called but more often if it reasonably close they are not.  It all doesn't seem to matter all that much because the runners, all of them, seem to have a great time.

The children enjoy themselves competing to the best of their ability - no fancy clothes - no fancy running shoes - just bare feet. Pure racing for the fun of it all.

Tahsang Village Passing the Baton

Bem Runs the Anchor Leg for Tahsang Village

Each contingent of supporters brought their own sound system and selection of music to the games - a sort of unofficial competition.  Music blared across the field from seven different sound systems.  Each school's students who were not competing in an ongoing event typically joined in dancing in front of their grandstand.  Some of the schools had a choreographed dance team providing entertainment. Little brothers and sisters, too young for school, often joined in the dancing. It was a grand sight.

Along the perimeter of the competition field, vendors had set up stalls, booths, and motorbike sidecars from which they sold drinks, food, and ice cream,  Smoke rose and filled the air from charcoal fires where chicken feet, pork, sausages, and other items were being grilled. It was a grand party.

At other booths, students could throw darts at balloons for prizes or use air rifles to shoot at prizes.  Further out, children were bouncing up and down as well as between trampolines.  There was even a small merry go round with suspended seats for children to sit in.

Children Putting On A Show.  Duang Is Giving Them Money - Just Like At Adult Shows

Since this field day was also associated with Children's Day, there were also some children events.  The sub-district sponsored a show where children sang, danced, and answered questions for prizes.  Once again everyone, young and old, was having a great time.

Audience Members Dancing and Singing

Off to the side of the children's show there was an area where children and their parents could water color ceramic figurines. This was another popular area for people of all ages.

Mother and Daughter Enjoying Themselves

Back at the competition area, volleyball, futball (soccer), and takraw were contested.

Bem Sends the Luuk Takraw Towards the Net

Takraw is sort of like volleyball - it is played with a woven rattan ball with three players to a side.  The ball, luuk takraw is put in play by a player on one side tossing it away from the net to a team mate who kicks it over the net to the other team.  Using only the head and feet the object is to keep the rattan ball in play.  If your team can not, the other scores a point.

We left around 3:30 PM., tired but not as tired as some at the event.  One of the Tahsang Village students had fallen asleep back at the grandstand - sound asleep in the comfort of his teacher's lap and arms.

Allen's World, 2013 In Review

Now that just about everyone has gotten out their "Year In Review" or "2013 In Review", I thought that I would share some of my favorite photographs for the year that just concluded.  Staying here in Thailand gives me the opportunity to actually have two years in review, 2013 as well as the Buddhist Era year of 2556.

Life here in Isaan continued to be very interesting as well as fulfilling.  There were more than a year's share of festivals, family events, travels, and ordinary daily activities to keep me both satisfied and more importantly happy.

So let's see what the past year brought forth.

January - Udonthani
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/02/for-love-of-king-and-country.html

February - Ban Chiang
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/02/ban-chiang-weekend.html

March - Si That
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-rare-day.html

April - Maehongson
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/04/poi-sang-long-festival-wednesday-03.html

May - Ban That
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/05/ban-that-rocket-launches.html

June - Yellowstone National Park

July - Ban Nong Han
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/07/road-of-opportunity-plenty-of.html

August - Ban Tahsang
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/08/all-along-back-roads.html

September - Ban Nong Han

October - Sakon Nakhon
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/10/wax-castles-of-sakon-nakhon.html

November - Ban Tahsang
http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/11/another-rice-harvest.html

December - Luang Prabang

It had been quite a memorable year as every year is.  It was filled with joy, sadness, challenges like all the previous years.  It had been a year of many opportunities just as all previous years and as I know this new year, 2014, will be - for everyone.

Yet Another Lao Loum Funeral

Monk Pours Coconut Water On the Corpse

In early January of this year, we attended the funeral for another family member, one of Duang's uncles from Tahsang Village.

Poopaw Veeboonkul was 60 years old.  He died three days after slipping in the shower and hitting his head.  He was unable to speak his entire life which made communications difficult for him. He did not let his nephew know about the accident until his internal bleeding due to injuries was too great and too late for the hospital to save him.  A life long bachelor he tended to and raised water buffalo.

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Gambling, other than the National Lottery, is illegal in Thailand.  But just as so many things are not always what they seem to be or even what they are supposed to be, gambling does exist and sometimes you do not have to look very hard to find it.  Typically in the small villages that dot the countryside in Isaan, you will find gambling going on where there is a funeral.  I thought that this might be due to a belief that "It is an ill wind that blows no good" in other words ... someone's misfortune in dying is counteracted by someone else's good fortune in a game of chance.  You know - the eastern philosophy of the ying and yang or achieving some balance in the Universe.  Well the reasoning for gambling at a funeral is not so altruistic.  According to my Lao Loum wife who has been to a great deal more of these funerals than me and speaks both Thai and Lao much better than me, the reason for gambling is to ensure that more people come to the funeral ritual.

Apparently the more people that participate or at least attend the funeral, the greater merit that is earned for the deceased person's spirit.  Wether people participate in the ritual or just gamble, they make an offering to the family of money or rice.  The offerings are than made to the Monks in the name of the donor as well as the deceased person.  In an Isaan take on the theme of the film  "Field of Dreams", rather than "Build it and they will come" the belief is "Have gambling, and even more of them will come". In deference to the Lao Loum mores, the police tolerate this gambling to a point.  Once the body starts to be cremated, it is sort of "all bets are off" and the police will stop any gambling and arrest all participants.

For this funeral, the gambling was across the village street at relatives' homes.  Yes, there was so many people wanting to gamble that there were actually two games of chance going on.  The people were playing a dice game called "Hai Low".  The game uses a vinyl cloth that resembles the betting table for a roulette wheel in a casino.  The people place their cash bets on the numbers, combinations, and permutations indicated on the cloth - just like playing roulette.  Three dice are placed on a plate, covered with the cover of a fartip (woven container for storing cooked sticky rice), shook or stirred, and the cover removed to reveal the dice.

While I was off taking photographs, Duang played for a while.  She ended up winning 1,000 Baht, about $30 USD and was smart as well as disciplined enough to quit.  Her aunt who usually runs a game at funerals, ended up losing 50,000 Baht, approximately $1,666 USD for the day.  At the end of the day I went looking for her.  When I found her I told her that I had heard that she was giving away money and I was wondering where my money was. We all enjoyed a good laugh - winning or losing everyone always seems to be able to laugh.

Procession Walking Through the Streets of Tahsang Village

Around 1:00 P.M., which is typical time, a procession lead by Monks traveled from the man's home to the Wat located inside of Tahsang Village. The procession circled the crematorium three times before the coffin was removed from the refrigerated coffin and placed on steel sawhorses in front of the door to the furnace.

Puffed Rice Is Spread On the Ground to Feed the Spirits

It was a very quiet day in the village up until midway through the funeral ritual.  The funeral was on a school day but it ended up being a half-day of classes.  One of the teachers attended the funeral along with her classes.  Her classes are made up of all my little friends from the village.  They immediately saw that I was taking photographs and wanted to get in on the action.  Of course I was all too willing to accommodate them much to the amusement of the other adults.  These are all children from poor families and I like to share with them some of the outside world as well as introducing them to some of the today's technology.  They get such enjoyment out of seeing themselves in a digital photograph that I can not say no to them or dissuade them.

Some of My Tahsang Village Friends

Wat Crematorium In Tahsang Village

It may seem strange to many readers that elementary classes would attend a funeral but here in Isaan children are not shielded from death.  They are taught from a very early age, as in in one year old, to show respect to older people.  Around the village, I am referred to as "Tahallen" (Grandfather Allen).  By having the class attend the funeral the children show their respect for one of their neighbors and also it reinforces the realization that life is temporary.

The Monk Whom I Nicknamed "Rocketman"  Supervising the Ritual

The ritual was supervised by the head Monk of the Wat inside of the village.  I have nicknamed him "Rocketman".  The first time that I saw him back in 2008, he was supervising the construction of homemade rockets at the Wat.

 http://www.hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/31-august-2008-prapheni-bun-bang-fai.html

He definitely knew a thing or two about building the gunpowder packed PVC pipe rockets and more importantly you could easily see that he really enjoyed it. Later in the day he was at the competition in another village far from Tahsang where the rockets were being fired off into the sky.

A Relative Pours Coconut Water Over the Corpse

Cleansing and Refreshing the Spirit

After people had poured coconut water and ordinary water on the remains of the man, the strings that had bound his hands and legs together were cut using a cane knife.

Cutting the Ties That Bind

A unique aspect of this funeral ritual involved coconuts.  All the funerals that I have attended here in Isaan utilized green coconuts.  The green coconuts do not have a husk and are cut at their top to allow their watery contents to be poured out on the corpse.  However at this funeral, the coconut shells of mature coconuts were also used.  These are the hard half shells of the coconuts that are typically sold in supermarkets in Europe, Canada, and the USA.  One of the man's relatives used a coconut half shell to touch various parts of the corpse.  When he was completed, the corpse was rolled over and the half shell as well as two others were placed beneath the buttocks and legs of the body.

Pouring Hydrocarbon On Charcoal Bed

The saht and comfortor that were in the disposable coffin were removed and placed in a pile off to the side of the crematorium.  The heavy cane knife that was used to cut the bindings on the hand and feet was used to cut drain holes in the disposable coffin.  While this was going on, a man poured hydrocarbon, I suspect naphtha on the charcoal bed of a heavy rolling metal carriage that had been pulled out of the crematorium furnace.  The disposable coffin was then filled with the good luck pieces that mourners had placed on top of the coffin.  The lid was placed on top of the coffin and it was placed on the rolling carriage.  The carriage was then pushed into the furnace.  The heavy door to the furnace was closed and a Monk ignited the charcoal bed using some burning good luck totems.

As the first wisps of smoke exited the chimney of the crematorium, three large fireworks were fired in succession into the air to scare away any bad spirits that might be in the area intending to interfere with the release of the man's spirit for its journey.  Off to the side of the crematorium, a man reverently buried the food and drink that had been placed upon the coffin as an offering to the man's spirit while the man's belonging burned.

After consulting with a person who knew about such matters, we walked directly to Duang's mother's home. Duang was concerned that if we did not first go back to the man's former home, the newly released spirit would follow us to her parent's house.  The man told her that it was OK to go directly to her parents.

Another day in the cycle of life in Isaan came to a close.